The Effects of Promoting Parent-Child Shared Reading through a Hospital-Based Intervention on Early Childhood Language Development

Objective: To assess whether receiving shared reading guidance starting in the newborn period alters the parental habits of shared reading and the language development of children. Methods: Consecutive eligible parent-child dyads from the post-partum and neonatal nursery units at Heping Fuyou Branch of Taipei City Hospital, Taiwan, from June 2018 to January 2019 were enrolled. Parents in the study group (n = 20) received shared reading guidance during well-child clinic visits at 1, 2, 6, 12, and 15 months after birth, whereas parents in the control group (n = 20) received the usual child healthcare during those months. Both groups received questionnaire surveys and language assessments (Mandarin-Chinese Communicative Development Inventory) when the children were aged 18 months. Results: Parents in the study group exhibited a significantly greater increase in the frequency of shared reading and number of picture books at home compared to controls. Significant associations were noted between the intervention and the practice of shared reading three or more days per week and ownership of ten or more picture books at home. Children in the study group scored significantly higher than children in the control group on the vocabulary production subscale (median percentile 45.0 vs 10.0, p = 0.002) and the how-to-use language subscale (median percentile 75.0 vs 22.5, p = 0.008). Conclusion: Literacy promotion by trained medical staff beginning in the newborn period and continuing into early childhood may help establish parent-child shared book-reading routines and increase language skills by age one-and-a-half years.

關鍵字

literacy ； language development ； shared reading ； young children

並列摘要

目的：本研究的目的在於評估從新生兒時期開始接受共讀指導是否會改變父母親子共讀的習慣和兒童的語言發展。方法：台北市立聯合醫院和平婦幼院區自2018年6月至2019年1月連續收案符合條件的親子對並分成兩組。研究組父母（n=20）在幼兒1、2、6、12和15個月大時於健兒門診就診時接受共讀指導。而對照組的父母（n = 20）僅接受常規的兒童保健。兩組均在兒童18個月大時接受問卷調查和語言評估（華語嬰幼兒溝通發展量表）。結果：研究組的父母在家中共讀的頻率和繪本的數量都有顯著增加。共讀指導措施和每週大於或等於三天的共讀頻率與家中擁有大於或等於十本繪本之間存在顯著相關性。研究組兒童在詞彙能力分量表（百分位中位數45.0 vs 10.0，p = 0.002）及如何使用語言分量表（百分位中位數75.0 vs 22.5，p = 0.008）的分數顯著高於對照組兒童。結論：醫療人員從新生兒時期開始並持續到兒童早期的共讀指導有助於建立親子共讀習慣並提高一歲半幼兒的語言技巧。

並列關鍵字

讀寫能力；語言發展；親子共讀；兒童

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